Cabo Rebuilds
Luxuriously
By Jill Weinlein
F
lying into Los Cabos
International airport, tourists
don’t recognize too much
damage from Hurricane Odile,
which hit Baja California Sur
on September 13, 2014.
Driving towards the lavish hotels and
beautiful resorts towards the Cabo
San Lucas Marina, guests will notice
how the strongest hurricane ever to
make landfall in the Baja Peninsula of
Mexico, destroyed almost every
building in its path with its 125mile-per-hour winds.
An estimated 92% of the population
were left without power or water. It
was the biggest electrical disaster in
the history of Mexico, according to
the Mexican Electric Company (CFE).
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One of the first luxury resorts to open
after months of repairing the damage
was the Fiesta Americana Grand Los
Cabos. The resort officially opened to
guests on November 23, 2014 with
new paint, furniture, a new lobby, spa,
restaurants and landscape.
The 249-room resort offers seven
restaurants, five bars and five
infinity-style swimming pools.
There is an all-inclusive option
that includes food and beverages.
The friendly staff were attentive
and catered to all the guests’ needs
cheerfully. They are pleased that
the resort was full again.
January through May is an ideal time
to visit Cabo to see the migration of
the Pacific Gray Whales. Females
arrive in the warm lagoons of the
Gulf of California to give birth to
their young. Guests look out along
the coastline from their rooms or
along the beach to see whales
spouting water from their blowholes,
breaching, splashing and slapping
the water with their tails.
In the morning guests enjoy either
a seated breakfast at the Peninsula
restaurant overlooking the ocean or
a buffet br eakfast on the outdoor
patio of Vina del Mar.
For a light lunch after snorkeling
and swimming in the pool, guests
dine at either La Cevicheria for
fresh seafood dishes or the Grill
Bar for burgers and fries.
By sunset, families and couples dine
at the handsome La Bodega
Steakhouse for fresh fish specialities
and steaks. There is also a Mexican
cuisine restaurant, another serving
Italian fare and one near the lobby
serving sushi.
Many guests grab a cab and take
a trip into town to eat at the The
Office, perhaps the most famous spot
on Playa Medano in Cabo San Lucas.
It suffered damage from Odile, yet
re-opened on October 1, 2014 with
a new face lift.
Others make reservations for
a sunset dinner at the beautiful
Hacienda Beach Club & Residences
along Medano Beach. The resort
was closed for repairs for about
five weeks after Odile hit. Hurricane
protectors purchased and installed